The Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council of the European Union of the Commission’s proposal to strengthen EU action against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Announced together with the Commission’s revision of the pharmaceutical legislation on 26 April, the AMR Recommendation helps combat AMR in the fields of human, animal and environmental health, following the so-called One Health approach. […]
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How lonely are Europeans? Monitoring and tackling loneliness in Europe
Loneliness, the feeling of lacking meaningful social interactions, has been identified as a serious public health concern and linked to a number of factors, including poor health and low social connectedness. The increased risk of loneliness associated with prolonged lockdowns and self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn even more attention to the issue, with […]
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The European Commission will support Member States putting people and their mental health first
The Commission adds a pillar to the European Health Union: a new comprehensive approach to mental health. This approach is a first and important step to put mental health on par with physical health and to ensure a new, cross sectoral approach to mental health issues. With 20 flagship initiatives and €1.23 billion in EU funding from different financial instruments, […]
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European Parliament calls for prudent use of antibiotics and more support for research
Parliament adopted its recommendations on Thursday for a coordinated EU response to health threats posed by antimicrobial resistance. In a resolution passed with 525 votes in favour, two against and 33 abstentions, MEPs say the successful tackling of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires the prudent use of antibiotics for humans and animals, good infection prevention and […]
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Commission secures agreement with BioNTech-Pfizer on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines
The European Commission, acting with and on behalf of EU Member States through the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and vaccine developers BioNTech-Pfizer, have reached an agreement to better address Member States’ assessment of evolving needs for COVID-19 vaccines. The amendment to the existing vaccines supply contract takes into account the improved epidemiological […]
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Statement by President von der Leyen following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic
Welcoming the WHO’s announcement that COVID-19 no longer constitutes a global health emergency, President Ursula von der Leyen made the following statement: “Finally, after more than 3 years, COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency. This is good news. This pandemic has had a heavy toll on people, our society and our economy. But we have […]
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SOLUS project: new diagnostic method for breast cancer funded by European funds
At the end of the SOLUS project in October 2021, his team developed a complete operating system for multimodality imaging and a compact device that could serve as the basis for a portable device that can monitor and diagnose critical tissues. Two years later, ongoing efforts at SOLUS may reduce the number of unnecessary breast […]
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Eurostat says older people are healthier in cities
Urban social and environmental factors appear to have a significant impact on how well the population is doing. At the EU level in 2021, 43% of city-dwelling adults 65 and older reported having a very or very good health status, which was 2 percentage points (pp) higher than the national average for all individuals in […]
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Autumn vaccination campaigns targeting the elderly and other high-risk groups will be key to reducing the impact of COVID-19
According to ECDC surveillance data, with every new wave of COVID-19 infection, individuals in older age groups are more likely to be hospitalised. Data suggest persisting SARS-CoV-2 transmission in EU/EEA countries and therefore, a continuous risk of severe disease for vulnerable groups. Although no clear seasonal pattern of virus circulation has emerged so far, data […]
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